UWF football in strange scenario against Shorter after recent gauntlet

After his UWF football team played its last eight games against ranked opponents, Argos head coach Pete Shinnick anxious to see how they handled being a heavy favorite to win Saturday against Shorter.(Photo: Gregg Pachkowski, Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com)Buy Photo

So when you're UWF coming off this gauntlet of eight consecutive games against nationally-ranked NCAA Division II teams, including the first two games this season, the matchup meets the definition of breather.

Except when you're the UWF players. Or the coaches. Hence, the lecture.

"We weren't going to let it happen," Shinnick said. "We have too much at stake. We've always preached three messages to our players.

"Our best is good enough.. Our good is going to get us beat. Our bad is going to get us killed. We have to be at our best. That's all I am looking for."

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Head coach Pete Shinnick during the Carson-Newman vs University of West Florida football game at Blue Wahoos stadium in Pensacola on Thursday, August 30, 2018.(Photo: Gregg Pachkowski, Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com)

Shorter, located in Rome, Georgia, joined the Gulf South Conference as a football program in 2012. The Hawks went 6-5 their first season. They've never approached success since that beginning.

UWF has been on this run of history-setting precedent in college football. Eight straight games against ranked teams? No college football team has done that.

Just as no start-up team ever reached a national championship in two seasons like the Argos.

"It's put a lot of eyes on us. It's built a lot of people's confidence. We feel honored to face those ranked opponents," said senior cornerback Marvin Conley, who has been with the UWF team since its outset.

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Head coach Pete Shinnick during the Carson-Newman vs University of West Florida football game at Blue Wahoos stadium in Pensacola on Thursday, August 30, 2018.(Photo: Gregg Pachkowski, Gregg Pachkowski/gregg@pnj.com)

After UWF led Midwestern State 14-3 at halftime last Saturday in Wichita Falls, Texas, the Argos lost the emotional edge early in the third quarter. They gave up consecutive touchdown drives.

But it was still a tied game (17-17) with less than 10 minutes left.

"You talk about how quickly that could change the outcome of that game," Shinnick said. "So we're not far away. But we have to get a lot of work in.

"It's what we've earned. We've earned 1-1. I think if we were playing last year's schedule we'd be 2-0, but I don't know if we would be as good as we are right now. I thinkwe are a pretty good football team and now we've got to go out and earn it."

UWF will play its 29th football game in school history Saturday. That's still infancy stage.

Yet, the Argos have played 12 of their 28 games against nationally ranked teams. Only well-established teams get tested that way. It's been a remarkable start.

The Argos went 6-2 against the past eight ranked teams.

"It is a great experience for any program and I think it's a growing experience for anybody," Shinnick said. "And to do that, you obviously had to be in post season and competed at a highest level, so I think our future is that our out-of-conference schedules are going to be like this with really good teams like Carson Newman. and Midwestern State.

"It think it has really raised the awareness from an outside perspective. A lot of people know about us who didn't. But internally, I think it just showed us what we are capable of doing when we play great football."

When all this began, Shinnick was constantly asked about expectations, what was doable for this beginners' team.

"My expectations were to go and play great football and see if we can win every time," he said. "And we could have started the first season 8-0. But we were 5-3 and we we got killed in those last three games.

"Obviously, this year, starting off against these two teams, that's a new thing for us. You don't ever want to go 1-1, but let's learn from it and let's grow from it and get better from it."

This is what Shinnick needs to see on Saturday. His team regressed in the second half last week. He emphasized to the players that opponents should never affect intensity in preparation.

"It's not about opponent, it's how we play," Conley said. "It's about how we play and put a show at (Blue) Wahoos Stadium and bounce back."